Mine-door-operating mechanism



(N0 MOdBL') T. CARMIGHAEL. MINE DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

N0. 358.381. Patents Feb; 22, 1887.

N PETERS. PhokwLilhogwzhm. wmhiu xon. D. c.

spective of a mine-door provided with my im-' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS CARMIGHAEL, OF VYHAT CHEER, IOWVA.

MINE-DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,381, dated February 22, 1887.

Application filed Juno 7, 1886. Serial No. 201,305. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS CARMIoHAEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVhat Cheer, in the county of Keokuk, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mine-Door-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to mechanism for automatically opening and closing minedoors for the passage therethrough of coal or other cars; and the object of the invention is to simplify the construction and produce a cheap effective mechanism that will positively open and close the door before and after the passage of cars.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain features of construction, hereinafter specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a perproved automatic opening and closing mech anism, and Fig. 2 is a detail, hereinafter referred to.

Like letters indicate like parts in both figures.

A A A A A A represent posts or beams arranged alongside the track, or, it may be, of the roof, of the mine. B represents the door, and B the door-frame, all of usual construction. From the posts or beams A A" is a track or bar, 0, upon which is mounted a sliding block, 0, perforated, as at 0 for the passage ofthe rope D, or it may be otherwise connected,as hereinafter stated. Extending from the block 0 to the door B is ahinged connecting-rod,O ,which is pivotally connected to the door.

At each side of the door and from the pairs of posts A A and A A respectively, there is secured an inwardly-curved rail, E E, upon each of which is mounted a pair of sliding blocks, F F, which in this instance are connected at their outer ends by a coiled spring, F extending from outwardly-proj ecting arms F The blocks F F are perforated, as at F, for the passage of the endless rope or chain D, and are provided at their inner ends with inwardly-extending car-engaging arms F The rope D passes over grooved pulleys G,mounted on the posts A at each side of the door, and through the apertures F in the sliding blocks F F at each side of the door, and is knotted, L

as at H, between each pair of blocks. Said rope is crossed between the tracks E E. In its return the rope is passed through the aperture 0 in the block 0, and to this block the rope is rigidly and adj ustabl y secured by means of a binding-bolt, C".

It will now be seen that the door is connected with the blocks F F at each side, and may be opened from either side by the contact of a car running on the track I with the engaging-arms 1* of said blocks. Taking, for example, a car passing from left to right, it is plain that the front of the car will come in contact with the engaging-arm F of the sliding block F. This will cause said block and its companion to be carried in the direction in which the car is moving and along the curved track E until the block is by said track withdrawn from in front of said car, and by reason of said block being connected by the knot H, or by means hereinafter described, with the rope or chain D, said 'rope will be caused to travel, carrying with it the sliding block '0, which will draw upon the connecting-rod C and cause said door to swing upon its hinges. To close the door after a car or train of cars has passed, any ordinary door-closing device may be employed for instance,a weight secured to a rope or chain run over a pulley mounted in the door-frame. This will not only close thedoor, but in so doing will bring the sliding blocks back to their normal positions,which are those shown in the drawings. The operation of opening the door from the opposite side is the same.

If desired, only one block may be employed on each of the tracks E E, and the rope may be connected to said blocks by means of a thumb-screw, H. (See Fig. 2.)

It is obvious that the endless rope or chain may be connected with the blocks by means of the intermediate knot, H; or, if desired,

mounted on the on rvedtracks, (see dotted lines X, Fig. 2,) so that when a car comes in contact with it, -it will throw it to other than a right angle and cause it to bite upon the rope, as

the aperture for the rope is straight, whereby Letters Patent, is

1. In a mine-door-operating mechanism, the combination of a door, connected by means of a hinged rod to a block adapted to slide upon a straight track at one side thereof, with an endless chain or rope mounted upon pulleys at opposite sides of the door-frame and passing through sliding blocks mounted upon in weirdly-curved tracks, substantially as specified. i I 2. In a mine-door-operating mechanism,the combination of adoor, connected by means of a hinged rod to a sliding block mounted'upon a straight track at one side of the door, with an endless rope or chain passing through said block, and'mounted upon pulleys at either side of the door-frame and connected to sliding block'smounted upon curved tracks, said blocks being provided with outwardly-extending engaging-arms, substantially as specified. v "3. The combination of a mine-door, a sliding block connected to said door by means of ahinged connecting-rod, and an endless chain or rope passing through said block, with sliding blocks mounted upon curved tracks, the outer ends of said blocks beingconnected by a spring and the forward end provided with inwardlyprojecting car-engaging arms, substantially as specified.

4. In a mine-door-operating inechanism,sliding blocks mounted upon curved tracks, in combination with an endless rope or chain connected to a door-operating block, and with means, substantially as shown and described,

-for connecting said blocks and rope, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with the posts A A A A A A having the curved tracks E E and a straight track, O,and theblocks G FF,mounted thereon, of the endless rope or chain D, pulleys G,door B,and rod C", substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the door B, connecting-rod C and block 0, mounted upon the track 0, with the endless rope or chain D, curved tracks E E,and the sliding blocks F F", mounted loosely thereon and having the springconnections F whereby a bight is formed on the rope D when a car comes in contact with said blocks F F, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS GARMIOHAEL.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES B. SoULLY, J OHN Ross. 

